VALTTERI BOTTAS has taken pole at the Mexican GP.
The Finn, 32, has caused an upset by pipping Lewis Hamilton into first place, with the Brit coming second.
Max Verstappen, the race leader, qualifies in third despite posting the second quickest time of Q2.
His Red Bull team-mate rounds off the top four but it is advantage Hamilton ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
If the Mercedes star maintains his place ahead of rival Verstappen he could win his sixth Grand Prix of the season and clawback at least seven points.
But if Bottas also beats Verstappen to the finish line it would be a perfect day for Mercedes, with the gap at the top of the leaderboard possibly closed to just two points.
Bottas led the way early on by recording the fastest time in Q1, with Hamilton down in sixth.
But the 36-year-old responded well and was top at the end of Q2, just 0.009 seconds quicker than Verstappen.
Then Bottas put on the burners with an astonishing time of 1:15.875 to land pole and set up a chance to claim his second Grand Prix victory of the season, after winning in Turkey last month.
Hamilton has promised a fair fight with Verstappen and wants the winner of the championship to be the driver who shows the most skill and determination.
Hamilton said: “We have never won a championship in that way. I have never won a championship in that way and I wouldn’t want to.
“I am here to win in the right way — and that is through sheer skill, determination and hard work.
“You know how I have won my world championships in the past and I have always wanted to win it in the right way.
“And if you are going to lose it, you lose it in the right way also, with dignity, giving it your all and doing things the right way. If it doesn’t work out, you live to fight another day.”
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
